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Some advice on B2B Telemarketing

by speez
9 replies
Hi!

Anybody out there do any telemarketing to B2B? I have 2 openers who are dialing out and all we are getting are answering machines mostly. Tried different list providers and we have name of contact in the department we want to speak to but no success in scheduling calls for me to close.

Anybody can recommend a good technique or anybody know of a good list provider that provides direct lines with extensions to correct party?

I appreciate your help!

Speez

#telemarketing #B2B
#advice #b2b #telemarketing
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Use the Search function. Many of us have been discussing this topic for half a decade or more in this subforum ;-)

    And the stats used to be (worse now with big companies dropping human receptionists in favor of automated greeters and routers): half the people you call won't be available. And half of those who pick up can't actually talk right now. So phone prospecting is a bit of a slog. Expect that. It's not you.
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    • Profile picture of the author speez
      Yeah I was expecting to get out of 100 dialed calls at least 2 scheduled appointments but not even getting that.
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  • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
    Most people are getting smart to cold callers. So they check the number coming in. If they don't recognize the number they let it go to voice mail. Sure avoids a lot telemarketers.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by DWolfe View Post

      Most people are getting smart to cold callers. So they check the number coming in. If they don't recognize the number they let it go to voice mail. Sure avoids a lot telemarketers.
      The numbers, even the 2012-era numbers, still support the experience.

      100 / 2 = 50 (half the people aren't available)

      50 / 2 = 25 (half who answer can't talk right now)

      Expecting 2 out of 25 is 8% conversion. We don't know what these guys are saying when they do reach a prospect. We don't know how good the list is in terms of fit to offer. If they're calling a bunch of people who don't really have a problem the appointment setters have a solution for, nobody is going to want to talk.

      To diagnose we need more info on where the funnel is falling down.

      As for prospects receiving phone calls, I haven't had issues with small businesses. It's easier to reach the decision maker. For big companies, 1000+, that I've called on behalf of clients for, I've found Voicemail Hell and auto attendants galore. No live humans to talk to and use the techniques on. So I use a different marketing method for those prospects.

      Another thing we don't know is how the OP is tracking attempts. Are they calling once and giving up? Are they calling at a consistent time, or varying? Are they talking to a receptionist and using the right technique to discover when an effective time to call back is?

      Dunno.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnVianny
    I admit telemarketing only directed to people already in your email list, or buyers list, or people who have previously sent you the permission to call them.

    How to find them? Fb. Or google call ads.
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  • Profile picture of the author speez
    Yeah makes sense. One guy I know who does well with telemarketing targets small businesses (sales let's say under 1 million dollars or 2 million) and is very successful but when you start dealing bigger businesses, it's hard to get a contact.
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  • Profile picture of the author myob
    Back in the day (early 1990's) when I was doing "cold" calling, my prospects were almost all voice mails. I never got a call back from leaving voice mail messages. What my team and I did was call VM contacts back every 1-3 days with a "drip message" of no more than 30 seconds about the product/equipment we were selling.

    Typically after 3-6 attempts (never more than about 7 attempts at once) the prospect would answer. I would then introduce myself again just as in the VM. They already know I called before, and that I was interested enough (not just another one time pest that usually just goes away) to try again and actually reach them.

    Once they answer, always acknowledge that you know they're busy. But never indicate how hard they are to reach. Busy executives always make it a point to guard their time.

    Trust me on this one ... you hardly ever happen to "catch" them in - they have proactively granted you a few seconds of their time for you to present a forward action on the proposal for which previous VMs piqued their interest.

    Give them a time expectation of the sales call and ask for a call back appointment if their schedule is not immediately available. You need to show respect for their time and demonstrate professional conduct, especially with top level executives.

    Cold calling still works, particularly in markets not easily tapped through the internet or social media. In B2B, even multi-billion dollar deals are still being originated and consummated by phone. But it is not for the amateur.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by myob View Post

      Back in the day (early 1990's) when I was doing "cold" calling, my prospects were almost all voice mails. I never got a call back from leaving voice mail messages. What my team and I did was call VM contacts back every 1-3 days with a "drip message" of no more than 30 seconds about the product/equipment we were selling.

      Typically after 3-6 attempts (never more than about 7 attempts at once) the prospect would answer. I would then introduce myself again just as in the VM. They already know I called before, and that I was interested enough (not just another one time pest that usually just goes away) to try again and actually reach them.

      Once they answer, always acknowledge that you know they're busy. But never indicate how hard they are to reach. Busy executives always make it a point to guard their time.

      Trust me on this one ... you hardly ever happen to "catch" them in - they have proactively granted you a few seconds of their time for you to present a forward action on the proposal for which previous VMs piqued their interest.

      Give them a time expectation of the sales call and ask for a call back appointment if their schedule is not immediately available. You need to show respect for their time and demonstrate professional conduct, especially with top level executives.

      Cold calling still works, particularly in markets not easily tapped through the internet or social media. In B2B, even multi-billion dollar deals are still being originated and consummated by phone. But it is not for the amateur.
      Yup, you need a VM strategy. I was watching a Jay Abraham interview last night and he pointed out that people don't have one, and they're shocked they get sent to VM. A few years back I interviewed sales force developer Dave Kurlan and he detailed his VM strategy (and look at the whiny responses from people who didn't try the strategy out...just went with their opinions).

      There are strategies for calling intelligently, tracking what happens so you learn what works, and generating callbacks or openings for when prospects will expect your call. But you have to USE them! ...and I have found most people do not. Scattershot is what people do. I've lost track of the number of businesses I've encountered that have a sales team with outbound expectations--but no consistent sales process and no calling/VM strategy. 99% of them are flying by the seat of their pants, and I don't think that's an exaggeration.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by DWolfe View Post

    Most people are getting smart to cold callers. So they check the number coming in. If they don't recognize the number they let it go to voice mail. Sure avoids a lot telemarketers.
    You been peeking in my office window again?
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